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For Mumia Abu-Jamal, I am Ron Kovic author of Born on the Fourth of July.

According to recent news accounts, shattered and shredded body parts and remains of U.S. servicemen were found in a landfill.

Despite political spins, this sobering image is a telling, true-life metaphor for what those in power really think of soldiers, many of whom are but boys and girls freshly loosed from High School.

In recent years, politicians, especially when on TV or radio talk shows, are apt to say, when addressing a vet, "I thank you for your service." In truth, this is robot-talk, kind of like when a parrot is trained to say, "Hello!", and about as meaningful.

The American poet, e.e. cummings once said, “A politician is an arse upon which everyone has sat, except a man."

John Africa said, "A politician will tell you he wasn't born of a woman, if it'll get you to vote for him."

In these passing years, since 9/11, wars have been fought that have devastated countries, economies, and world peace. Untold thousands have died, many for nothing more, nor less, than American paranoia. Thousands of U.S. soldiers have died defending American lies.

And tens of thousands have returned, bodies, minds, souls shattered by political calculations driven by arrogance, greed and sheer stupidity. Thousands of marriages have ended in divorce because of forced years apart, and families have been broken asunder because some greasy politician wanted to play 'War-President' (or Senator, or Representative.)

In a real sense, military body parts tossed into landfills as trash is more than metaphor.

It is truth.

(c) '11 maj

Prison and government officials are trying to censor and silence Mumia Abu-Jamal. I stand as one of many Americans who believe that there is tremendous value in his voice being heard. I am others will fight to make sure that both his voice and his body are free.